Final essay on the topic: “What goals are important to set on the path of life? What life goals can be considered worthy?”

We all set goals in life and then try to achieve them. Goals can be small and large, important and not so important: from buying a new phone to saving the world. Which of them can be considered worthy and which are not? In my opinion, the significance of a goal is determined by how many people its achievement can help. If the goal is to acquire a thing simply for your own pleasure, then it is clear that achieving it will make only one person happy. If the goal is, for example, the invention of a cure for cancer, then it is obvious that achieving it will help save many people. It is goals aimed at the benefit of many people that can be considered important and, of course, worthy. Is it important to set a goal to do good? Or maybe it’s enough to live only for yourself, putting only your own well-being, mainly material, at the forefront? It seems to me that a person who strives to do something for common good, lives a fuller life, his existence takes on a special meaning, and achieving his goal will bring greater satisfaction.

Many writers reflected in their works about life goals. Thus, R. Bradbury in the story “Green Morning” tells the story of Benjamin Driscoll, who flew to Mars and discovered that the air there was not suitable for breathing because it was too thin. And then the hero decides to plant many trees on the planet so that they fill the atmosphere of Mars with life-giving oxygen. This becomes his goal, his life's work. Benjamin wants to do this not only for himself, but for all the inhabitants of the planet. Can his goal be called worthy? Undoubtedly! Was it important for the hero to set it and work hard to achieve it? Of course, because he feels that he will benefit people, and achieving this goal makes him truly happy.

A.P. Chekhov also discusses what goals are worthy in his story “Gooseberry”. The author condemns the hero, whose meaning in life was the desire to acquire an estate with gooseberries. Chekhov believes that the meaning of life is not at all in material wealth and one’s own egoistic happiness, but in tirelessly doing good. Through the lips of his hero, he exclaims: “... if there is meaning and purpose in life, then this meaning and purpose is not at all in our happiness, but in something more reasonable and greater. Do good!”

Thus, we can come to the conclusion that it is important for every person to set truly worthy goals - to do good for the benefit of people.

Final essay on the topic: “What qualities can help you achieve your goal?”

Almost every day people set certain goals for themselves, but not everyone and not always manage to achieve them. Why do some people succeed and others don’t? What qualities do people who successfully realize their desires have? It seems that to achieve your goal, perseverance, perseverance, the ability to overcome difficulties along the way and not give up in the face of failures, willpower, and self-confidence are important.

It is these character traits that are characteristic of the hero of “The Tale of a Real Man” by B. Polevoy. He always, since childhood, dreamed of flying. During the war he became a fighter pilot. However, fate was cruel to the hero. In the battle, his plane was shot down, and Meresyev himself received severe wounds to both legs, as a result of which they were forced to amputate. It would seem that he was never destined to fly again. However, the hero does not give up. He wants to “learn to fly without legs and become a full-fledged pilot again.” “Now he had a goal in life: to return to the profession of a fighter.” Alexey Meresyev is making truly titanic efforts to achieve this goal. Nothing can break the spirit of a hero. He trains hard, overcomes pain and continues to believe in success. As a result, the goal was achieved: Alexey returned to duty and continued to fight the enemy, flying the plane without both legs. Such qualities as willpower, perseverance, and self-confidence helped him in this.

Let us remember the hero of R. Bradbury's story “Green Morning” by Benjamin Driscoll. His goal was to grow many trees on Mars so that they fill the air with oxygen. The hero works hard for many days, planting seeds. He does not allow himself to look back because he does not want to see that his efforts do not lead to success: not a single seed has sprouted. Benjamin Driscoll does not allow himself to despair and give up, and does not give up what he started, despite failure. He continues to work day after day, and one day the day comes when, almost overnight, the thousands of trees he planted grow and the air is saturated with life-giving oxygen. The hero's goal has been achieved. He was helped in this not only by perseverance and perseverance, but also by the ability not to lose heart and not to give in to failure.

I would like to believe that every person can cultivate all these important and necessary qualities, and then we will be able to fulfill our wildest dreams.

Final essay on the topic: “Does achieving a goal always make a person happy?”

Every person, walking along the path of life, sets certain goals for himself, and then strives to achieve them. Sometimes he makes a lot of efforts so that his goal finally becomes a reality. And now the long-awaited moment comes. The goal has been achieved. Does it always bring happiness? I think not, not always. Sometimes it turns out that a wish come true brings no moral satisfaction, and perhaps even makes a person unhappy.

This situation is described in J. London's novel Martin Eden. The main character had a goal - to become a famous writer and, having achieved material well-being, to find family happiness with his beloved girl. For a long time, the hero has been steadily moving towards his goal. He works all day, denies himself everything, and goes hungry. Martin Eden makes truly titanic efforts to achieve his goal, shows incredible perseverance and strength of character, and overcomes all obstacles on the path to success. Neither the numerous refusals of magazine editors, nor the misunderstanding on the part of people close to him, especially his beloved Ruth, can break him. In the end, the hero achieves his goal: he becomes a famous writer, he is published everywhere, and he has fans. People who previously didn't want to know him now invite him to dinner parties. Him more money than he can spend. And Ruth finally comes to him and is ready to be with him. It would seem that everything he had ever dreamed of had come true. Did this make the hero happy? Unfortunately no. Martin Eden is deeply disappointed. Neither fame, nor money, nor even the return of his beloved girl can bring him joy. Moreover, the hero experiences melancholy and moral devastation and ultimately commits suicide.

Thus, we can come to the conclusion: achieving a goal is not always capable of making a person happy; sometimes, on the contrary, it can lead to the opposite result.

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Final essay on the topic: “Do you agree with the statement that the end justifies the means? Does the end always justify the means?”

We are all familiar with the phrase: “The end justifies the means.” Can you agree with this statement? In my opinion, this question cannot be answered unequivocally. It all depends on the specific situation. Sometimes the goal is such that the most radical methods can be used to achieve it, and sometimes a situation arises in which no goal can justify a person’s actions.

Suppose that the means to an end is to kill another person. Will it be considered justified? At first glance it seems that, of course, not. However, things are not always so simple. Let's look at literary examples.

In V. Bykov’s story “Sotnikov,” the partisan Rybak saves his life by committing treason: having been captured, he agrees to serve in the police and participates in the execution of a comrade. Moreover, his victim becomes a courageous man, worthy in all respects - Sotnikov. In essence, Fisherman achieves his goal - to survive - through betrayal and murder. Of course, in this case the character’s action cannot be justified by anything.

But in the work of M. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man” main character Andrei Sokolov also kills a man with his own hands, and also “his own”, and not his enemy - Kryzhnev. Why does he do this? His actions are explained by the fact that Kryzhnev was going to hand over his commander to the Germans. And although in this work, just like in the already mentioned story “Sotnikov,” murder becomes the means to achieve the goal, in the case of Andrei Sokolov it can be argued that the goal justifies the means. After all, Sokolov is not saving himself, but another person; he is not acting out of selfish motives or cowardice, but, on the contrary, strives to help an unfamiliar platoon leader, who without his intervention would have been doomed to death. In addition, the victim of murder becomes a vile person, ready to betray.

From the above we can conclude that a lot depends on the specific situation. Apparently, there are circumstances in which the end justifies the means, but, of course, not in all cases.

Essay on “Goals and Means”.

This statement given to me is quite contradictory and ambiguous, like any other question that involves long discussions. Does the end always justify the means? And does it justify it at all? Should one correspond to the other, and what should be the goal for all means to be good for it?

On the one hand, a person’s entire life is a movement with some purpose, which in most cases is taken as the “meaning of life.” Home, family, good job, a car, an apartment, a garden with gooseberries, your own small business, world peace - all this can become the meaning of everyone’s existence. Does it make sense to think about the means to achieve your goal? Of course, yes, because in our lives any obsessive thought can be broken by reality and the very fact that a person is constantly changing, growing up and improving. And if today, for example, it seems to me that it’s worth going over your head to live in the capital, then tomorrow, quite possibly, I will kiss my grandmother’s hands in a small village on the very outskirts of our country, strive for something completely different and condemn yourself for what you did earlier. For example, the main character of the novel F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment" for a long time He considered it his goal to prove to himself and others that with the help of evil deeds one can come to good. In other words, he believed that criminal means were acceptable in achieving a noble goal. According to Raskolnikov’s theory, there were two types of people: those worthy and those unworthy of life, and the hero believed that by killing the latter, an ideal, kind world could be created. However, having committed the murder of the old woman, the hero realized that his idea was inhumane, and he himself, having taken this step, did not become better than those scoundrels who surrounded him. These included, for example, Svidrigailov, a vile and low personality who did not disdain any means to achieve his dirty goals. Raskolnikov's repentance and Svidrigailov's suicide once again proved that the end does not always justify the means.

Another example is the hero of the novel N.V. Gogol "Dead Souls". Chichikov's goals were high social status and self-enrichment. The hero decided to take a rather desperate step: having bought out many “dead souls” from various landowners, he would, without much difficulty, at the same time acquire the status of a large landowner, and, having received a large loan for his peasants, the hero would also have the opportunity to have large capital. To this end, Chichikov began his difficult path and resorted to a variety of means, but the very character of the hero did not allow him to stoop too low and behave, for example, the same way as those landowners to whom he approached with his deal. Of course, the final ending of the novel remained in the second volume, however, it seems to me that the fact that Chichikov, having managed to find an approach to each landowner, nevertheless achieved his goal and collected the required number of dead souls, without having done anything like that, was enough. that he himself might be ashamed. Thus, Chichikov’s goal justified the means attached to it.

In conclusion, I would like to note once again that there is not and cannot be a specific answer to the question posed in the test. The end can justify the means only if the honor and dignity of a person do not suffer.

Our whole life is a movement towards achieving our goals. Their achievement sets in motion a reward mechanism consisting of a final reward, the realization of a sufficient amount of resources and a quality goal. Let's pay attention to the last element. Achieving what goal will bring satisfaction? One that is not just of high quality, worthy and difficult, but such that a person has an incentive to move towards it. It is important that it be diverse and, to some extent, even associated with a life dream in order to take its place on the priority pedestal. Versatility is necessary because if, for example, you strive for ordinary wealth, you can forget about other important things and eventually realize that your goal was not ideal.

Using Bunin's "Mr. from San Francisco" as an example. His hero is a hardworking, persistent and purposeful person who devoted his whole life to work and accumulation of wealth. He existed to make a fortune, never lived in the present, but pinned his hopes on the future. In pursuit of wealth, this gentleman completely forgot about building sincere family happiness, gaining not only work connections, but also friendships; he did not have time to develop spiritually. We can assume the latter by his craving for alcohol, visiting brothels and a huge number of bourgeois joys - all of them are just a beautiful wrapper for a meaningless life, self-deception, which is so necessary for empty personalities. The gentleman from San Francisco dies rich and useless, his goal turns out to be obviously imperfect, incomplete, unworthy of becoming the dream of a lifetime.

She clearly did not have time to bring him proper satisfaction.

An example of a worthy goal is Eugene Onegin from Pushkin’s work of the same name. The author made this hero an extraordinary person, whose meaningless existence quickly becomes boring. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, Onegin’s goal was to search for a goal that would fill his every day. He is looking for new spiritual values, reading and writing books, trying to introduce new orders in the village. Even if at first the hero did not pass the two main tests of life - love and friendship, he developed in several directions, felt active, his life became meaningful, which could not but bring satisfaction, and after many years he still comprehended and accepted the value of feelings and close relationships with people.

Thus, we are convinced of the need to have a universal, multifaceted goal that is worthy of all the time and resources spent on its implementation, so that a person can remain satisfied upon achieving it.

Good afternoon, dear homebodies. Today we will figure out why achieving goals doesn’t work! Where does happiness come from? This is one of the most important issues questions that people have asked themselves for centuries when they try to penetrate into their own nature and the world around them.

Everything we do has the goal of achieving happiness, but many of us never achieve this.

We pursue happiness in many ways, but the most obvious is achieving or owning what we want. Most people believe that if they want something, it is because it will make them happy, and they believe that they must do whatever it takes to achieve it.

Obviously, this is how we are created by nature, so that throughout our lives we continue to reach upward and achieve new goals. But such a lifestyle will never make a person happy or contented for a long time.

Achieving goals does not bring happiness

Some people study this topic deeply and wonder what else is missing in their lives to be happy. They look at others and think: “Oh, Petya has a BMW and he’s happy, but I’m not, so I must have this car to be happy.”

And the person throws all his efforts into getting this car, doesn’t sleep at night, doesn’t eat enough, and forgets about all kinds of entertainment. So several hellish years pass, and now the desired BMW is already parked under the window.

A few days of joyful euphoria, and then everything was the same - the new car did not bring happiness. And then a new search for incentives begins. It's a vicious circle.

When you don't get what you want, at least you have something to blame for your misfortunes. If you realize yours and realize that you are still not satisfied with everything, then you may begin to feel like you are going crazy.

Achieving goals does not bring happiness. People who suddenly get what they want, who win the lottery or realize their life dreams of becoming a star or something else, begin to notice real problems because of it.

You've probably heard about the problems of the brightest Hollywood stars who behaved strangely, despite their success - they abused cocaine, or suddenly shaved their heads bald in a fit of rage, or attempted suicide.

Is this how happy people behave? This happens when there are high expectations that some achievements will make them happy, but this does not happen.

Others blame circumstances: “If only things were a little different than they are now, I would be happy.” This is self-deception. They wouldn't be much happier - they'd find something else to blame.

These people blame everything but themselves, so that at least they don’t feel as if their “grief” stems from their guilt. The irony of this situation is that only creating your own responsibility for own problems allows you to solve them.

The circumstances that people blame for their problems are varied - this is where they currently live, where they work, and even other people.

Blaming another person or group of people for one's misfortunes is quite common and should be recognized as a source of trauma, conflict and unnecessary suffering. And achieving goals does not bring happiness.

So where can you find happiness?

People have traveled to the ends of the earth in search of an answer. Despite this, they were still left with the question. Even the greatest thinkers in history have not found it, and the reason for this is that happiness cannot be achieved through thinking.

Happiness cannot be bought, eaten, or cheated. It cannot be “obtained” from anywhere, because nothing from the outside can make you happy. The only source of happiness is you, you have it within yourself because you were born with it.

Happiness is an innate human condition.

Children, when they come into this world, do not need a reason to be happy, they just are. As long as they are not directly threatened by hunger, some kind of danger or something similar, the child naturally moves towards happiness and is happy. Happiness is simply the absence of suffering.

This is nothing new. It is ancient, as old as time, and has been repeated in countless forms since the time of the Buddha, if not before. And at a certain level of consciousness, under the cover of our own illusions, we know all about it.

This is encoded in our language: the word “unhappiness” means the absence of happiness. It's not about achievements and material values– happiness has nothing to do with these things.

Look at children, even during illness they get a lot of pleasure from life, because nothing can take away their innate ability to be happy. A child does not need to move to the very top of the career ladder to be incredibly happy.

Think about why little children are happy? What would you say when asked to explain this phenomenon? You could point out that children shouldn't worry about anything, the future or the past, that they don't want anything they don't have, and don't expect anything from the future.

These ideas are repeated in Buddhist parables, which argue that all suffering comes from desire: the desire to have something that we do not have, the desire to influence the future or change the past, and the desire for other people to behave in a desired way.

All this falls under the category of whim, which causes suffering.

Everyone knows that people who worry about the future are less happy than those who don't worry so much, even if both have the same issue. To worry is to suffer.

And that means achieving goals does not bring happiness.

Just be happy!

Final essay 2017

Achieving what goal brings satisfaction? Does achieving a goal always make a person happy?

Living without a goal is akin to an unconscious existence. Every person periodically comes to the need to comprehend what is happening to him. Then he sets a goal for himself, having previously formulated it.

Unfortunately, not all people set priorities (primacy) in advance: many make mistakes in choosing a goal and do not achieve the desired happiness. Then execution? Plana is not fun.

Using the example of M. Eden from Jack London’s novel “Martin Eden,” we see that the goal really does not always bring satisfaction. And in the case of the main character of the said novel, it even leads to death.

After meeting a wealthy family, Martin becomes educated and masters the skill of writing. He achieved this goal not out of love for art, but for the sake of fees. Overcoming obstacles on his difficult life path, Martin still became a famous writer. But, having achieved the goal, he realizes that this is not his destiny and becomes disappointed in himself and his loved ones. Martin Eden commits suicide. This example shows that not all goals bring satisfaction. What is conceived must come from the heart. Jack London's story teaches us to value life and choose the right goal in life.

It's great if achieving a goal makes a person happy.
Sanya Grigoriev, the hero of V. Kaverin’s novel, was lucky in this regard. As a child, he found letters from Captain Tatarinov, who went missing along with his expedition somewhere near the North Pole. For many years no one knew what really happened. The relatives suffered and hoped that they were alive. And so the boy Sanka, having read these letters, decided that he would definitely find out the truth and tell about it.

Grigoriev devoted his entire youth and youth to this goal. He looked everywhere and in everything for the answer to the terrible mystery and finally found it. Sanka achieved what he wanted, he exposed the villain and received happiness as a reward. .

Katya Tatarinov, the daughter of Captain Tatarinov and Sanya’s beloved, was convinced that he was right, that he acted for the good. She was not mistaken in her choice, she agreed to become the wife of now Captain Grigoriev, thereby making him happy.
To summarize, we conclude that there should be no place for selfishness in good intentions. The goal in life should be to spiritually develop and improve the soul. It is important to control this process, not to allow even the most desired goal to destroy your life or deprive yourself of happiness.

Happiness grows not so much from the passive experience of desirable circumstances, but from involvement in meaningful activities and active progress towards a chosen goal.
David Myers and Ed Dinsr

Without a goal happy life impossible. In order to be happy, you must first determine what goal could serve as a source of meaning and at the same time pleasure for us, and make every effort to achieve it.

GOALS AND SUCCESS

People who set specific goals have an easier time achieving success than people who don't. Having specific goals that are clearly formulated and require complete dedication from a person - with a clear schedule of work and criteria for their implementation - is a direct path to increasing productivity. Setting a goal is like making a verbal decision, and words have enough power to make our future better and brighter.

The very presence of goals clearly signals to both ourselves and those around us that we believe in our ability to overcome any obstacles. Imagine that life is a road. You very cheerfully walk kilometer after kilometer with your backpack on your back, until suddenly you come across brick wall, which blocks your path to your destination. What are you going to do? Will you turn back to avoid the difficulties that this wall symbolizes that stands in your way? Or will you do the opposite - throw your backpack over the wall and thereby make a firm decision to overcome it in any way - either by breaking through it, or by going around it, or by trying to climb over it on top?

The Scottish mountaineer William H. Murray wrote wonderfully about how useful it can be to throw your pack over a brick wall in his book “The Scottish Expedition to the Himalayas”:

“Until a person finally decides on something, there always remain doubts, the opportunity to retreat, and inaction. Regarding any manifestation of initiative, there is one simple truth, ignorance of which kills countless plans and great ideas: the moment a person decisively commits himself to obligations, Providence also begins to act. To help this person, many different incidents happen that otherwise would never have happened. The decision taken entails a whole stream of events: useful coincidences, meetings and offers of financial support that no one would have ever believed in in advance. I had a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: "If you think or believe that you are capable of something, start doing it. In action there is magic, virtue and power."

As soon as we set ourselves any task or clearly formulate our readiness to go to the end, our attention immediately concentrates on the desired goal, helping us find a way to achieve it. The goal can be very simple, such as buying a computer, or very complex, such as climbing Mount Everest. As psychologists say, every thing we believe in is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and when we make a decision, when we bravely throw our backpack over a brick wall, we demonstrate faith in ourselves, in our ability to build for ourselves the wonderful future that is depicted in our imagination. We create our own reality, and do not just react to it.

Question: Remember one or two times when you made a firm decision to do such and such. What consequences did this lead to? What have you decided to do now?

GOALS AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING

While empirical research and real-life experiences alike demonstrate the connection between having goals and success in life, the relationship between goal setting and mental well-being is less straightforward. As folk wisdom says, happiness largely depends on whether we managed to fulfill our plans. And yet, scientific research conducted in recent decades gives reason to seriously doubt the correctness of generally accepted views: if the desired goal is achieved, it brings enormous satisfaction, and if it was not achieved, despair sets in; but both of these feelings are usually transitory.

This fact was clearly demonstrated by psychologist Philip Brickman, who, together with his colleagues, spent many years observing the level of happiness of people after winning the lottery. Less than a month passed before these lucky ones returned to their previous level of spiritual well-being - if they were unhappy before winning the lottery, they remained so. What’s even more surprising is that the same thing happened to victims of car accidents who, due to paralysis, lower limbs found themselves forever chained to wheelchair, - just a year after the disaster, they were as happy or as unhappy as before.

Psychologist Daniel Gilbert went even further in the same direction - he showed how poorly we foresee our state of mind in the future. We imagine that buying a new house, getting a promotion, or publishing our book will make us the happiest people in the world, when in reality these achievements lead to nothing more than a short-term spike in happiness. The same can be said about bad events in our lives. The mental anguish caused by a breakup with a loved one, the loss of a job, or the failure of our candidate in an election does not last long - it will not be long before we are again as happy or as unhappy as we were before.

Contrary to our traditional beliefs about how important it is for our spiritual well-being to achieve our intended goal, the results of the above study indicate otherwise, and this is both good and bad for us.

The good thing is that we don’t have to worry too much about possible failures, and therefore we can act more boldly. The bad thing is that success, apparently, does not mean that much in our lives, and if this is so, then there is no point in striving for any goal, and there is no point in chasing happiness either. It seems that our life is similar to the life of Bill Murray's character from the movie "Groundhog Day" or the life of Sisyphus, who is always rolling his stone up the hill.

Does this mean that the choice is whether we continue to cling to the illusion (that achieving certain goals will make us happier), or face the harsh reality (which at every turn makes us understand that whatever we do, we will be happier for it) we won't)? Fortunately, this is not the case. You can do it differently, but to do this you need to understand how the goal and the path to the goal, the destination and the road along which we are walking should relate to each other. Once we understand the right ratio, our goals will help us rise to higher high level spiritual well-being.

WHAT ROLE DO OUR GOALS PLAY?

In his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert M. Pirsig recounts how he joined a group of venerable Buddhist monks who were climbing in the Himalayas. Despite the fact that Pirsig was the youngest member of the expedition, he was the only one for whom the ascent was difficult. Ultimately, he abandoned this idea, while the monks easily climbed to the top. Pirsig, fixated on a single goal - to climb to the top of the mountain, overwhelmed by the difficulty of what lay ahead of him, was unable to enjoy climbing; he lost the desire - and the strength - to continue the climb. The monks also looked up all the time, but only to make sure that they were on the right course, and not at all because the most important thing for them was to climb to the top itself. They knew they were going in the right direction, so they had the opportunity to fully surrender to what was happening to them, enjoying every step instead of despairing over the difficulties that lay ahead.

The true role of goals in our lives is to liberate us and enable us to enjoy life here and now.

If we set off on a journey without any specific destination in mind, the journey is unlikely to be enjoyable. If we have no idea where we are going, or even where we would like to go, every fork in the road becomes a source of uncertainty: whether to turn left or right; Neither solution seems good because we don't know whether we want to go where these roads lead. Therefore, instead of admiring the landscape and flowers along the side of the road, we are consumed by doubts and uncertainty. What will happen if I go this way? Where will I end up if I turn here? But if we always remember where we are heading, if we are more or less clear in which direction we are heading, we are free to focus entirely on enjoying life here and now.

In my approach to this problem I emphasize not so much on how important it is to achieve a goal, but on how important it is to have one. In the article “Positive Efficiency,” psychologist David Watson emphasizes how valuable and important the path to a goal is for us: “Modern researchers especially emphasize the fact that the process of struggling to achieve a goal - rather than achieving the goal in itself“is a necessary condition for happiness and positive effectiveness.” The main purpose of a goal, when we have one, is its purpose in terms of the future - is to help us get as much pleasure as possible from what is happening to us here and now.

The goal is also a means, not just a result! If we ever want to know what happiness is, we need to change the way we think about our goals and give up unrealistic expectations. Instead of perceiving a goal as an end (and hoping that once we reach the goal we will be happy once and for all), we need to perceive it as a means (and understand that having a goal makes us life path more enjoyable). Since having a goal helps us gain more pleasure from what is happening to us here and now, this indirectly leads to an increase in the level of our spiritual well-being; Moreover, this level grows with each step taken - in contrast to the short-term peak of happiness that accompanies achieving the goal. Having a goal allows us, while doing something, to feel its meaning. Although I maintain that a person cannot be happy for a long time if he does not have a goal, just having a goal is clearly not enough.

In order for our happiness to grow by leaps and bounds, it is necessary that the goal is meaningful to us, and the path on which it pushes us is pleasant for us.

Question: What past goals have provided you with the most rich source of pleasure and meaning? What kind of goal do you think would bring you as much happiness in the future?

Summarizing the numerous studies conducted to establish the relationship between having goals and happiness, Cannon Sheldon and his colleagues write: “People who dream of good health and prosperity would be advised to:
a) do not pursue money, beauty, or popularity, but prefer goals such as personal growth, good human relationships and solidarity with other people;
b) not to pursue any other goals than those that are interesting and meaningful to themselves, and to resolutely abandon the pursuit of goals that they feel are imposed on them by people and circumstances.”

As Sheldon points out, in contrast to the fact that most people - to say the least - are too much after popularity, beauty and money, and at times feel as if they are being forced to do so, we would be much happier if if we switched to goals that are most in tune with our inner self. Thanks to scientific research in this area we have learned to understand much more subtly what kind of meaning and pleasure will serve as the most generous source of happiness for us.

GOALS CONSISTENT WITH OUR INNER “SELF”

Goals that are in tune with our inner self are goals that we strive to achieve out of deep personal conviction and/or because we are interested in it. According to Cannon Sheldon and Andrew Elliott, these goals are “intimately integrated with our inner selves” and stem “directly from self-expression.” In order for the goal to be self-consistent, a person, as a rule, should feel that he chose herm; that the desire to achieve this goal is rooted in his passionate need for self-expression, and not in the desire to impress others. We strive to achieve a goal that is in tune with our inner self, not because someone else thinks we should do so, and not because we feel obligated to achieve this goal at any cost, but because that we really want this - because the goal itself seems significant to us, and having achieved it, we will experience pleasure.

Scientific research conducted in this direction clearly indicates that there is a qualitative difference between the meaning we derive from external goods, such as social status and the balance of our bank account, and the meaning we derive from internal goods, such as , like personal growth and a sense of connection with other people. Usually, financial goals are not very consistent with our self - because they stem from an external, not an internal source. The thirst for status and the passionate desire to impress others very often, although not always, accompany the senseless pursuit of wealth.

In their study, The Dark Side of the American Dream, Tim Kasser and Richard Ryan demonstrate that the pursuit of financial success has negative consequences when it becomes the main goal and guiding principle of life. For those whose most important goal is making money, it is much more difficult to succeed in life and reach their full potential. Usually such people are destined to endure a lot of grief and mental suffering, they fall into a state of depression and nervousness more easily. Worse, since the body and soul are closely connected, such people have weaker health and less vitality. The same research results were obtained outside the United States: business school students in Singapore, “who had absorbed a strong degree of materialistic values, also complained of a decrease in the level of self-actualization and happiness, a decline in vitality, an increase in nervousness and anxiety, and an increase in somatic symptoms and feelings of personal inadequacy."

When psychologists examine the essence of goals that are in tune with our inner self, they do not at all believe that we should give up the pursuit of material wealth and honor, because such a refusal would be tantamount to declaring war on our own nature. Nor do they try to convince us that we don't need to worry about our financial situation. It is necessary that we have enough money for food, shelter, decent education and satisfaction of other basic needs, otherwise there can be no question of any well-being. However, beyond the satisfaction of these basic needs, there is no need to worry about either money or prestige - since happiness is accepted as a universal equivalent, we must not allow money and prestige to become the main object of our aspirations.

Despite the fact that in most of these studies money is interpreted as a purely external goal, it also happens that it takes on the functions of an internal goal - in these cases, although material well-being is the main object of our aspirations, it does not harm happiness and even helps . Among those who bend over backwards to earn an extra penny, there are many people who do not care deeply about the material side of things; in wealth, what is much more important to them is what it represents in their eyes - a reward for their work, evidence of their competence, and so on. In this case, earning money is determined more by internal reasons, such as the need for personal growth, than by external factors such as social status.

Moreover, if we perceive and use money as a means to find meaning, the pursuit of wealth can easily become a goal in tune with our inner self. For example, having money frees up time for activities that are personally meaningful to us, or gives us the opportunity to provide financial support to a cause in which we believe.

Obviously, it would be very useful for us to understand which goals are most in tune with our inner self and try to achieve them, but this is not so easy. As Sheldon and Linda Houser-Marko aptly observe, learning to choose internally consonant goals is “a difficult task that requires from us, along with the ability to adequately perceive our own self, also the ability to resist social pressure, which often pushes us in the wrong direction "

First of all, we need to know what we want to do with our lives, and then have enough courage in ourselves not to compromise our desires under any circumstances.

Question: Which of your goals are most in tune with your inner self? What external or internal barriers are preventing you from achieving these goals?

based on the book by Tal Ben-Shahar: Learning to be Happy
Also more links from the book:

The author of the saying “The end justifies the means” is considered to be Nicolo Machiavelli, an Italian politician of the 16th century. This man believed that the government, for the benefit of the state, can use any harsh and even cruel means.

To agree or refute the meaning of this phrase, you first need to turn to the concept of what a goal is. And so, a goal is what a person strives for, the result he wants to get. Each person, throughout his life, constantly sets goals for himself. They change all the time, become more complex, achieved and sometimes forgotten.

When a goal is set, a person, striving to achieve it, begins to perform certain actions. And here one could assume that good goals lead to noble deeds. However, there are countless examples in history that many rulers, generals and politicians, acting in the interests of the state, sacrificed thousands of lives of ordinary people. Famous historical figures have gained fame as winners, founders of empires, and innovators. Those who fell victims on the way to achieving these goals remained unknown.

If a good purpose requires disregarding human lives or morality, then no matter what in beautiful words no matter how it is described, it will no longer be possible to consider it good. Nothing can justify cruel indifference to the fate of another person.

Someone may argue that each person understands good and evil differently. What seems good to one, another considers bad. But such a position can lead to chaos in society and a lack of morality among its members. Over the long millennia of its existence, humanity has developed generally accepted moral and humane norms that regulate relations between people. For example, stopping a criminal who can cause suffering to other people is a noble act, as well as the goal that is achieved through it. Although it is often necessary to use force. Keeping a fraudster's secret without revealing it and thereby participating in his machinations is a disgusting act, although the person committing it seems to be doing nothing.

Participating in a war to protect one’s homeland from enemies is not the same as fighting to expand the borders of one’s state at the expense of others. Therefore, before you set a goal and outline ways to achieve it, you need to remember moral principles accepted in the civilized world and adhere to them.

What makes a person happy

Everyone has their own concept of happiness and it changes throughout life. At first you need a little to be happy, but after that it’s not enough. Today, material wealth is more associated with this concept. Perhaps this is due to the lack of life wisdom, or maybe simply for a limited person such a feeling as happiness can be bought. In fact, achieving material comfort is more realistic than becoming spiritually happy.

What makes a person happy is his family. First it’s dad and mom, all relatives. It’s great when all the holidays are united and then the atmosphere of happiness is really in the air. You don’t even have to invite your close people; a truly close person comes himself and congratulates you from the bottom of his heart. Happiness is when people close to you understand you, and not just in ordinary situations, but in difficult life moments and even complete stupidities.

Understanding and harmony are true happiness. Often people do not appreciate what they have, but in vain. Happiness is being able to appreciate every day you live, enjoying the little things. Of course, it is necessary to set life goals and achieve them, but most importantly, you need to be able to be happy, regardless of the circumstances.

Of course, happiness is close friends. Throughout life, some people appear, and communication with others ceases. But there are definitely a few close friends, proven by situations and reliable. Sometimes it seems that they are not friends at all, but close relatives.

Happiness is the health of loved ones and family. There is nothing more difficult than the test of illness. If everyone is healthy, then the person will already be happy. In general, living in harmony is a great happiness. This task is not easy, but to be happy you need to work on yourself. You need to be able to receive this feeling and give it back. But, under no circumstances, do not put your needs above. Happy is the one who knows how to give and make another person happy.

The most important happiness not only for a person, but for all humanity, is procreation. The birth of a child gives rise to a cosmic feeling of absolute happiness. You can build a career, earn a lot of money, but not experience the happiness of becoming parents. Children determine the meaning of life and make it fulfilling and absolutely happy.

"Goals and Means"

The concepts of this direction are interrelated and allow us to think about a person’s life aspirations, the importance of meaningful goal setting, the ability to correctly correlate the goal and the means of achieving it, as well as the ethical assessment of human actions.

Many literary works feature characters who deliberately or mistakenly choose unsuitable means to realize their plans. And it often turns out that a good goal only serves as a cover for true (base) plans. Such characters are contrasted with heroes for whom the means of achieving a high goal are inseparable from the requirements of morality.

Sample topics.

1. Should every person have a goal in life?

2. Are the means to achieve the goal always chosen correctly?

3. Is it possible to “go over your head” to achieve your goal?

4. Is it possible to say that in war all means are good?

5. How do you understand the saying: “The game is not worth the candle”?

6. Will a person who has a goal in life always achieve it?

7. Is it possible to achieve a goal if the obstacles seem insurmountable?

8. What qualities should a person have to achieve great goals?

9. Is it true that Confucius said: “When it seems to you that the goal is unattainable, do not change the goal - change your plan of action”?

10. What does “great purpose” mean?

11. Can others help a person achieve his goal?

12. How do you understand Balzac’s statement: “To reach the goal, you must first go”?

13. Do you need to believe in yourself to achieve your goal?

14. Is life easy for a person without a goal?

15. How does a dream differ from a goal?

16. Is it possible to judge a person by his goals?

17. Is it possible to justify great goals achieved through dishonest means?

18. Do you agree with A. Einstein’s statement: “No goal is so high as to justify unworthy means to achieve it”?

19. Do you agree with A. Rand’s statement: “Only those in whom aspirations are extinguished are lost forever”?

20. Does achieving a goal always make a person happy?

21. How are the moral qualities of a person related to the means that he chooses to achieve his goals?

22. How do you understand the statement of L. da Vinci: “He who strives for the stars does not turn around”?

23. Can obstacles prevent you from achieving your true goal?

Bibliography:

1. Jack London "Martin Eden"

2. M. A. Bulgakov “The Master and Margarita”, “Heart of a Dog”

3. F. M. Dostoevsky “Crime and Punishment”

4. B. L. Vasiliev “And the dawns here are quiet”

5. A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter", "Mozart and Salieri"

6. O. Wilde “The Picture of Dorian Gray”

7. I. Goncharov “Oblomov”

8. I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons"

9. L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”

10. M.A. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man”, “Quiet Don”

11. O. de Balzac “Shagreen skin”

12. I.A. Bunin "Mr. from San Francisco"

13. N.V. Gogol “The Overcoat”, “Dead Souls”, “Taras Bulba”

14. M.Yu. Lermontov "Hero of Our Time"

15. B. Polevoy “The Tale of a Real Man”